A Fractured Lover (Student/Teacher)

Chapter 45

"And did anyone have any previous knowledge of you and Nathans McCoy's relationship?"

I sighed again and dropped my head onto my fist. "No."

It had been two weeks since the indecent with Greg. It had also been two weeks since I had seen Nathan.

So much had happened since that day. I woke up in the hospital with two broken ribs, a severe concussion and cuts and bruises littered across my body. I stayed in the hospital for five days recovering, being visited by Ben, Mia, and Rachel every single day and my parents and even Claire stayed for a few days to make sure I was okay.

I had also woken up to two incredibly important pieces of information.

First, and thankfully so, Greg was alive. He would forever have a face of a donkey's ass due to the damage that Nathan had done to it but he was alive and would be serving 25 years for attempted kidnapping and attempted murder on two counts.

And secondly, and hands down the worst piece of news to wake up to was the fact that now...everyone knew. Nathan and I's secret was out, which brings me back to my current predicament.

"And Dean Henkel, were you aware of any relationship between Ms. Merrick and Nathan McCoy?" the woman from human resources asked in a drawl tone, already bored with her own questioning.

"No, I wasn't," the Dean answered back, his voice domineering and his stiff posture matched his tone perfectly.

The light blonde haired woman scribbled down some last few notes in her notebook before flipping it shut and pushing her glasses back up to their preferred spot on her nose.

"That's all I need from you both. Thank you for your time."

She nodded to both of us as she stood up and walked towards the door, the Dean thanking her one last time before she fully exited his spacious office.

I twisted in my seat uncomfortably for a second or two before deciding it was time to make my exit as well. Gathering up my school bag from the floor, I slung it over my shoulder and raised myself out of the office chair.

"Sit, Ms. Merrick," the Dean bit out, his voice full of authority.

My stomach tightened in anticipation as I struggled to find a way out of this increasingly nerve wracking situation.

"But-I um, I have class soon and...I," My voice trailed off as I made eye contact with the Dean and saw that he was in no mood for games today.

Against every outcry from my mind, I lowered myself back into the chair and let my bag drop over my shoulder and onto the floor once more.

I kept my head down, only occasionally daring to glance up at the Dean's stoic face. His thin lips were dropped down into a displeased frown and the bushy gray mustache sitting above his lips only made his frown look that much more intimidating.

The silence in the room was suffocating me.

I begged the clock to tick faster in my mind as I watched it with deadly eyes as it, in fact, seemed to slow down for me as it knew I was watching it desperately.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, he spoke.

"Never in my 18 years as a Dean at this University... have I felt so foolish. You both were right under my nose for months and I never saw it."

Dean Henkel shook his head and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his large chest.

"I even sent you two into a restroom together alone when your legs were cut at the Arts gala! Jesus, I feel like an idiot now," he said as he ran his aged hand over his face and sighed.